President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he has selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States’ top health agency.
Kennedy ran for president in this year’s election as an independent before dropping out in August and endorsing Trump in exchange for a role in the Republican’s administration.
In a post on X, Kennedy vowed to work to end chronic disease, clean up corruption and provide Americans with the data they need to make informed decisions, vowing to Trump he would work to “Make America Healthy Again.”
Kennedy, the son and nephew of two titans of Democratic politics, has frequently talked about tackling what he calls the “chronic disease epidemic” of conditions including obesity, diabetes and autism, and reducing chemicals in food.
“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” Trump said in a post on social media.
Later on Thursday during a speech at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, Trump praised Kennedy, saying he would do “unbelievable” things in his new position. “We want you to come up with things and ideas and what you’ve been talking about for a long time,” Trump said, without elaborating.
The Department of Health and Human Services oversees drug regulation, public health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health insurance for more than 140 million people including the poor, those aged 65 and older, and the disabled through Medicare and Medicaid.
HHS had a $3.09 trillion budget for fiscal year 2024, representing 22.8% of the U.S. federal budget.
Drew Altman, president of health research firm KFF, described the move as historic and said what Kennedy, if confirmed, would ultimately do in the role remains to be seen, given he has not often discussed programs like Medicaid and Medicare, which account for much of the U.S. health budget.
“Historically, secretaries have been people with real experience and standing in national healthcare and he certainly is not that, and has views from outside the mainstream, and is a renegade appointment,” Altman said.
The appointment, which had been seen as a possibility for weeks, raised concern among some public health advocates who said Kennedy could have a negative role in Americans’ health given his power over these agencies. The Democratic Party decried the decision.
Some politicians and business groups supported the nomination, such as the National Community Pharmacists Association, which said it was encouraged by his willingness to take on corporations.
Announcing the choice on X, Trump tweeted:
“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health. The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”
